Playing God
by CaptainStarlord
Summary: Hoskins plans for genetically modified dinosaurs for military use may have seemed to die with him. But Jurassic World was living proof of those not listening to past mistakes. Genetic modification has begun again and this time it could have even more disastrous consequences... [Sequel to After the Chaos & set after Jurassic World]
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: So I did it, I decided to start a full on Chapter fic. Should hopefully stay on top of this one, and I will get around to updating my Star Trek fanfic series soon! First off I should mention a few things. If you haven't read my Jurassic World one-shot "After the Chaos", I'd recommend reading that before this to get a sense of things. This fic is set some time after the events of Jurassic World and that one-shot! So beware spoilers! Oh and see if you can catch the nod to the original Jurassic Park in this chapter ;) Hope you enjoy guys! And apologies for any grammar/spelling errors I might have missed, it unfortunately happens (especially when you are writing late at night).**_

 **Chapter 1**

Firm footsteps hit the floor, echoing off the sterile and white corridor. Not running, but at a pace that meant she had a purpose, a reason. Red locks rested on her white lab coat, her green eyes fixed ahead.

It was time.

She knew logically she should have stayed, gathered more data. But her heart, her heart could no longer take the strain. Walking at a steady speed, she drifted down the corridor. Her exterior was calm and reserved, blending in with the other lab coat personnel that moved past her. However, her interior was racing at what she was about to do. This could do more than just place her in an unfortunate situation. This action could change her life, either for the better or make it that much worse. One thing she knew for sure… he was going to kill her when he found out. Her thoughts and concerns soon changed as she spotted her target. A sealed large metal door stood in front of her. It looked out of place against the white setting, looking more like it belonged in a bank vault. Her eyes moved across looking at the two guards stood either side of the door. They stood six-foot a piece and looked dead-ahead almost in a robotic fashion. She gulped.

The guards looked, recognising her instantly.

"Dr Hammond," the one on the left greeted, "Here to run more tests?"

"Don't you know it," she replied with a smile. She approached the door, pulling out her ID card to show the guards.

"They've got you working twenty four-seven here, Miss. This is the third time you stopped by today," the other guard added with the same kindness.

She pulled a quick laugh, "Well I guess it's a good job I live for my work isn't it?"

The men chuckled. The pleasantries were soon over as the men checked the ID before unlocking the door. The bolts shifted open with a loud squeak, before she slipped inside. The door quickly fell back into place, locking her inside. Her smile quickly disappeared.

The room was eerily dark lit, looking more like a mad-scientist's hideout than a fully functioning lab. Lab work benches lined the wall to her left, to her right lay stacks of food supplies in the large quantity variety. Something that reminded her of the food store room back at the paddock. Granted, their collection was more of the dead animal variety than sacks of vegetables and greenery. Her eyes were quickly drawn to the back of the room where a large cage sat. Inside the only thing that was visible from this distance was a large shadow. Sure not as large as a T-Rex, but more the size of a young horse. She approached gently and slowly, reaching the bars and resting her hands on them. Whispering gently, she communicated with the curled up shadow on the floor.

"Hey you," she spoke softly. Despite her softness, the noise startled the shadow. It instantly leapt up, spinning around. Not even bothering to linger it's gaze on her for long, it sunk back into the shadows of the cage in fear.

She felt her heart break, providing her with a gut-punching reminder as to why she was doing this. Reaching her hand out through the bars, she called out to the shadow gently once more.

"Shhh, it's okay Rex. It's okay, it's only me promise."

The shadow looked at her, finally seeing past the terrorising lab coat to see the person in it. It sparked up, slowly moving towards her, out of the shadow and into the light.

"That's it. That's a good boy."

Once in the light, the shadows disappeared revealing the creature inside. It stood at the height of a young horse, scales lined his features, horns planted round his crown. Small fins spread out from either side of his back. Despite what might be considered a slightly menacing appearance for the young dinosaur, his was far from it. Back for her days of burying her head in dinosaur trivia, she knew the dinosaur to be a Dracorex, a dinosaur belonging to the Herbivore family. Its beady eyes trained on her, relaxing instantly once it saw her features. Moving slowly but swiftly towards her, he stopped once he reached her hand. Affectionately, he nuzzled his head into her outstretched palm with a small chirp. She couldn't help but smile as she stoked his muzzle in return.

That small embrace reassured her she was doing the right thing. Rex, as she had affectionately named him, couldn't stay here. He deserved better… not… not this. It was time to get him out. Moving her hand back slowly, she addressed him once more.

"Let's say we get you out of here, huh?"

Rex's attention was caught as he watched her curiously. Taking a deep breath, she set to work. Reaching the panel, she punched in the necessary overrides on the panel. The doors to the cage slid open slowly with echoing noise. She hoped the guards wouldn't get too curious. Once the doors were open, she moved in front of them. Her hands ushered gently, but hastily.

"C'mon Rex, this way."

Rex blinked at her, a little confused before swiftly obeying. She smiled, glad she had a taught him basic communication in their sessions alone. Rex nuzzled his head towards her. He clearly seemed grateful to be out of that cage. She stoked his head gently, "Alright boy, you can thank me later okay? We still need to get you out of here."

Moving away from Rex, she walked back the way she had come. Rex followed her curiously, not wavering to leave her side. Stopping in front of the food storage, her eyes searched for what she needed. Bingo. A large cart sat in the centre, a few bags of food sat on top. Walking over, she bent down picking up the bags and moving them off the cart. Once the food was gone, she pulled the cart out wheeling it over to Rex.

"Okay, you remember how this goes right?" she addressed Rex as she stopped in front of him with the cart. He blinked at her in response.

"On the cart then Rex," she pointed from Rex to the cart. "Lying down okay?" she made a gesture, indicating herself resting her head on her arms, almost resting for a nap.

It took a couple of gestures, before Rex seemed to understand. Moving down, he curled up onto the cart in a ball of adorableness. Her heart melted again watching him, watching his innocent features looking up at her. Looking over, she pulled a large white sheet from the side. Looking to Rex, she smiled at him.

"Time to be quiet now boy," she raised a finger to her lips. Rex blinked at her affectionately again. She hoped he understood as she took the sheet and laid it over the top of Rex, concealing him. She then looked to the door. It was time to really put this plan into motion.

A finger drifted over the small phone screen. Firstly resting on the emails icon, he clicked it before hitting refresh. Nothing. No new emails. Next he moved to texts, scrolling down. No new texts either. Finally he checked the call list. No missed calls. Nothing… again!

Owen Grady let out a small hiss of frustration as his brow furrowed. He crashed down onto his sofa, lying on his back. He stared intently up at the ceiling. Damn it was dusty up there. A lot of cobwebs littered the place, which probably meant there were some small little critters living in his place. Claire would 'love' that. He took another look at his phone, the screensaver flashed in front of him. It had been taken about a month after the I-Rex incident, Max had insisted. It was her way of insisting they were a team, a team venturing out to clear up what was left of Jurassic World. Claire had found the idea of taking a photo during the working environment a little ridiculous, but it was hard not to get caught up in Max's excitement. Owen was in the centre, with Claire on his left and Max on his right. Max had been the one taking the picture, she loved playing the amateur photographer. The three of them were pressed together, arms wrapped round each other and smiles on their faces. Despite their endeavours, they looked happy and at peace.

Owen personally loved the picture, his two favourite girls in the world either side of him, happy. His heart sunk. Max, his kid sister hadn't contacted him for two days. He tried calling her, but it went straight to voice-mail every time. It wasn't like Max, she always got back in touch or at least dropped a text if she was busy. Claire told him he was being ridiculous, that there was no need to worry. But Owen knew something was wrong. The two siblings were close, they spoke every day or at least sent a message. When they were all the family each other had, it was hard not to stay firmly attached. Something was really up, and the thought as to what it was scared Owen.

"What's going on Max? Just talk to me," Owen grumbled as he stared at the phone. As if by response, the phone began to buzz. Owen's heart raced, Max finally! She was…

Owen's heart guilty sank as he registered the caller. It wasn't Max… Instead Claire's beautiful features appeared on his screen. Shaking his head, he pulled himself up into a sitting position, hitting the answer button.

"Claire," he tried to sound as enthusiast as possible at the sound of his girlfriend on the other end.

"Hi Owen," Claire's voice greeted happily from the other end of the phone. She paused for a moment, "So are you ready?"

Owen blinked in confusion, "Ready?"

"For dinner tonight at six," Claire replied as calmly as possible, clearly sensing Owen's confusion.

"Dinner… right! Of course!"

Claire sighed, "You forgot didn't you?"

"No of course not… how could I forget about having dinner with my beautiful girlfriend!"

"Owen compliments aren't going to help your case… be honest, did you forget?"

Owen rubbed the back of his head with his free hand, "Okay… it might have slipped my mind."

Claire sighed again, "Is this because of Max?"

"What? No!"

"Owen!"

"Possibly..." Owen grumbled, "Are you mad?"

Claire's voice lowered and spoke softly, "No Owen, its fine I get it. I really do. You're just worried about her, but don't you think you're overreacting?"

"Overreacting? The last time something like this happened, she had been thrown in jail over false vandalism charges. I'm not overreacting!"

"Okay, okay. But come on. She's a big girl Owen, I get you like to play the protective brother game. But she can handle herself Owen, I'm sure she's fine."

Owen pinched his brow, Claire was probably right. Max was fine, there was no need to worry. Somehow he wasn't entirely convinced. His mind couldn't help but still remain anxious.

"Owen? You still there?" Claire's voice broke his thoughts.

"Yeah I'm still here…"

"Try not to worry okay. I'm sure she'll get in touch soon."

"Yeah you're right."

"Okay, good. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Alright, see you later." And with that Owen ended the call. He sighed. Despite Claire's reassurances, his gut instinct cried out to him. Max was out there and somehow he knew she was in trouble.

"Hey stop!"

The red-head didn't listen as she pushed the cart at full force, racing down the corridor. Rex chirped in panic underneath. Behind footsteps and shouts echoed after her. She had been spotted, they were onto her scheme. No more sneaking around now, it was a flat out run for the exit.

"Hold on Rex!" she shouted as she charged the cart through the double doors in front of her. The doors slammed open, leading out into the car park. She continued pushing the cart in front, making for one of the large vans. She stopped at the backdoors, throwing them open. Pulling the sheet off Rex, she gazed at him in a panic.

"Quickly Rex! Into the van!" she cried out, pointing at the van. Rex looked at her chirping in fear as he looked round to the noises behind.

"Rex!" she grabbed his attention, "Rex! Come on! We have to go!"

Rex looked back to her, then nodded before bounding up into the van. Once he was inside, she closed the doors then sprinted to driver's door. She pulled it open, jumping up in the driver's side. She was about to close the door, when she froze.

"Freeze, don't move."

Peering off to her side, her eyes fell on him. A lone security guard stood there, a gun in hand trained on her. She gulped. _Crap._

"Out the van now!" he ordered, gun still trained heavy on her.

She watched him for a moment, before moving her hidden arm across to the passenger seat. An empty pizza box sat there, clearly this slobs didn't know how to tidy up after themselves. She internally chuckled, reminding her of someone. Her hands clutched the box, her gaze still trained on the man. Taking a deep breath, she reacted. Throwing the box, she caught the guard square in the face. Taking her chance, she slammed the door shut and hit the engine into ignition. Her foot collided with the accelerator as the van roared out the car park. Shouts and gunfire didn't slow her down as she zoomed ahead. She gritted her teeth bracing herself as she swerved to avoid obstacles. A glimmer of hope appeared in front. The barrier exit, the barrier was down and she knew this crazy ride was about get even bumpier.

"Rex! Hold on pal!" she called out to the back of the van. Rex chirped back in response. Her foot pressed down on the accelerator with more pressure. The van crashed through, splinting it to pieces. She raced round, pulling into the road and zoomed away from the facility.

Her foot didn't pull back from the accelerator until she was sure they were out of danger. Slipping off the lab coat, she threw it into the passenger seat. A smirk lit up her lips. She pulled off the red-locked wig revealing the long brown locks that could only belong to Maxine Grady. Max turned behind her, pulling back the grate.

"You okay back there Rex?"

Rex blinked at her, he seemed a lot calmer now they were on a steadier journey.

"Don't worry buddy, we're safe now," Max smiled happily. She turned back to the open road. It was on the home stretch now, which meant a phone call awaited her. Owen was going to kill her…


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Hey guys, thank you so far for the follows & favourites so far. Thought I'd update before I disappear for a week, hope you guys enjoy! This one is a little less action packed, but hope you enjoy it regardless! (Sorry if it feels a little rushed in places…) **_

**Chapter Two**

Beep, beep, beep.

"Eugh," Owen groaned, not fully registering anything. It was too earlier.

Way too earlier.

He needed a little longer. Not a wake-up call. He buried back into the silk sheet covers for a moment. His mind slowly slipped back into the comforts of sleep… sleep… sleep…

Suddenly, Owen jolted realising his mistake. That beeping in the background, the familiar beeping of…

His phone.

All the haziness of sleep now gone, he pulled himself up. Tossing aside the covers, he reached for the buzzing phone, snatching it up off the side. He blinked for a moment, taking in the bright light of the screen. Once his eyes focussed, he became even more alerted when he saw the caller…

Max.

Not wasting any more time, he hit the answer button and brought it up to his ear.

"Max, where the hell have you been?" he tried to whisper as quietly as he could, but the anger in his voice made it almost impossible. He looked over to Claire's sleeping form next to him. The last thing he wanted to do was wake her. After all it was…

He looked at the clock. Three in the morning. That wasn't good, why the hell was Max calling at this hour? Shit… she really must be in trouble. Standing up, Owen moved to the on-suite bathroom slipping the door shut behind him.

It was clear Max was waiting on the other end, preparing herself with what to say. He could hear her small sigh, and could just picture her with an anxious look as she broke bad news.

God. What had happened? Had she been thrown in jail again? Had she been in some kind of accident? Maybe she'd fell in with a bad crowd and now she was running for her life? Or she went wild and had a crazy one-stand? Fuck… was that it? Was he gonna be an uncle? Either way if some bastard had hurt her or touched her in any way he'd…

"Owen… I'm not sure where to start…" Max's voice came down the other end of the phone.

Owen frowned still angry but his concern won out, "Something's happened hasn't it? Did someone hurt you?"

"No… none has hurt me Owen, I swear! I'm totally fine, promise!"

"Then, what is it Max?"

"It's… oh god Owen, I can't do this over the phone…"

Owen knew his sister could handle herself. She was tough and thick-skinned, she didn't let anything get to her. Sure she broke at times, like any other human being would. But Max… no, she could handle any kind of shit. She was fierce, she never gave up and stood proud with her decisions. Sure she made mistakes, but she always accepted them and moved on.

But right now, something was off. Owen hadn't heard her sound so afraid in such a long time. He could hear her trying to mask it, but he could sense it in the small cracks of her voice. That hit him. This wasn't jail or regular standard trouble. This was bigger. Much bigger.

The silence on the other end was worrying.

"Max, talk to me," Owen spoke softly, his previous anger had disappeared.

"Owen I… I need you… can we do this in person?"

Owen paused, startled by part of the sentence. _I need you…_ Images of his past scared little five-year-old Max, bundled up in her covers after a crazy nightmare, popped into his head. That was the last full true time he ever hear her utter those words.

"Of course," he answered, "You still at that small farmhouse of yours on the outskirts of Chicago?"

"You know it."

"I'll be on the next flight, Max. Whatever it is, we'll fix it… together okay?"

He could almost hear her smile as she answered, "Okay."

"I'll be with you soon kid."

With that he ended the call. He should have felt relieved at finally hearing from Max, but now he felt worse… Knowing something was terribly wrong. Max was in deep shit and he needed to get to her… fast.

He opened the door to the on-suite, stepping back into the bedroom. The lamps had been switched on and Claire was sat up in bed, looking across at him.

She looked exhausted but curious, her red hair was all fluffed up in a bed-head do. Owen loved the bed-head do, it was the only time she never used any spray or straightens to make every strand match. Owen walked over and Claire registered his features. Instantly she recognised the deeply troubled frown, knowing something was wrong.

"Owen… what's happened?" she asked looking up at him worried.

He sighed, "It was Max. Claire… she's in trouble. I don't know what kind… but it's big."

"Oh my god. Is she okay? What's actually happened?"

"She says she's fine… She wouldn't specify exactly, said she'd rather explain in person."

"In person? That means-"

"I'm jumping on the next flight to Chicago, head for her farmhouse. See what's happened."

"Hey I still have some contacts, they could probably get us a private flight in the next few hours."

"Us?" Owen frowned at Claire in confusion.

"Yes, I'm coming with you," Claire replied to his confused look, pulling out her phone and beginning to scroll through her contacts.

"Claire-"

"If the gesture at the chivalrous and protective move doesn't work on your sister, it's not gonna work on me. After all Max said we're a team, right?"

Owen smiled at that. Claire was just as concerned as he was. It was glad to finally be with a woman who cared and was beginning to cherish his sister as much he did.

"Right," he nodded and smiled.

….

Sunlight was breaking through the windows of the small farmhouse kitchen, illuminating the dusty work tops. A pan sat a-top the cooker, three carrots were bubbling away in the hot water. Max stood leaning on the counter behind her, just staring at the carrots. She loved making soft vegetable treats, at least it might calm him down a little given the new environment. His new environment was not much fairer or lighter than his other, but she couldn't very well let him run across the natural habitat on her backdoor step. She'd be caught and they'd be back at square one again.

She didn't know how she was going to break all this to Owen. Truthfully, she was terrified. But she had to stay strong and work this out. For Rex's sake.

She visibly jumped at the sound of her doorbell. Shit. They'd found her! Slowly and avoiding any windows that weren't covered by the blinds. Reaching for the peek-hole cover, she peered through it. A breath of relief escaped her lips. The familiar figures of Owen and Claire stood collectively on her porch. She didn't expect them so soon and she didn't expect to see Claire. She must have pulled some strings and insisted on coming along. Max smiled. She had a feeling she'd like Claire from day one.

Unbolting the door, she swung it open for her visitors.

"Owen," she greeted, smiling happily at her brother.

"Hey kid," he smiled. He didn't hesitate as he stepped in and took her into his arms, holding her close. Max returned the embrace, closing her eyes for a moment. It was good to have her brother here. Right now, she needed someone she could count out.

Owen pulled away and smiled at her. He then stepped aside to let Claire inside. Claire stepped in, closing the door behind her.

"Hi Max," she greeted with a smile.

"Hi Claire," Max returned the greeting. The two hadn't quite progressed to a hug greeting yet.

She looked to her brother who was watching her intently.

"I guess it's time for an explanation, huh?" Max asked.

"Well we didn't fly out here for nothing, what's going on Max?" Owen replied.

Max ran a hand through her hair for a moment, thinking for a moment of where to begin.

"I think it would be best to show you," Max answered. Owen and Claire exchanged puzzled glances, as Max moved to the kitchen. She finished up the carrots, turning off the oven top and putting the soft vegetables on a plate. Picking it up in one hand, she led the way to the garage. Owen and Claire followed after her, in a blazing trail of curiosity and confusion. Max pushed open the door with her free hand, and continued inside. Owen and Claire also entered, not far behind her.

Once they were inside, Owen instantly felt like they were being walked by a third party. His eyes opened wide as they fell upon that third party.

The young dinosaur registered Max, but when his gaze met Owen and Claire he became alarmed. He chirped in panic and moved further back, eyes wide.

Owen stopped with Claire standing closely behind him. He became aware of the threat, watching it intently. He looked to Max, who seemed un-phased.

"Max…" he uttered slowly.

"It's okay Owen, he won't attack. He's just a little startled that's all," Max reassured.

She stretched out her hand to Rex, "It's alright Rex, they won't hurt you."

Rex seemed to settle at the sound of her voice, but he was still cautious. He stepped forward watching Owen and Claire.

Max turned to them with a small smile, "Owen, Claire. I'd like you to meet Rex."


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Wow, thank you all so much for the favourites and follows so far. I managed to snag some time to write this on holiday. I kind of ran with this one, not sure how I feel about it… but I thought I'd add some flashbacks and a bit of mystery which I really enjoyed writing, who doesn't love a good conspiracy ^^ I hope you enjoy this regardless of my un-pure confidence in it (I hope I've written Owen and Claire okay, especially Owen I always worry about how I write him…). Enjoy all~^^**_

 **Chapter Three**

"Owen, Claire. I'd like you to meet Rex."

Owen didn't know how to respond. His gaze was still transfixed on the Dracorex in front of him. Max hadn't just handed him a plate full, she handed him an entire tray full. He was a little taken-a-back and stunned to speak. Rex watched him warily, still untrusting of the strangers in front of him. Almost accessing if they were worthy of Max's, and evidently his own, trust. His eyes were unblinking as he watched Owen and Claire.

To say it was unnerving to Claire's temperament was a small understatement. Unlike Owen, Claire seemed to have found some of her voice.

"Max… you have a dinosaur in your garage?" Claire asked, almost as if reassuring herself that this crazy situation was real.

Max nodded as she moved to stand beside Rex. Her hand gently stroked his side, hoping to help calm down the tense dinosaur.

"Easy their boy," she mumbled affectionately.

Owen suddenly snapped out his stunned stance. A serious tone entered his features as he turned to Max.

"Max… what have you done? Because I know you didn't cook him up yourself!" Owen raised his voice, but not enough to startle Rex.

Max rubbed the back of her head and let out a nervous laugh, "Ehehe… yeah that's where it gets complicated."

"Then un-complicate it," Claire replied. The two looked to Max, clearly wanting some kind of explanation. Max felt like a teenager who had arrived back home hours after her curfew to her parents in the kitchen. Her eyes slid shut for a moment as she took a deep breath.

"It's probably best if I start at the beginning," Max mumbled.

….

Rain splattered down hard against the ground, turning the natural walkways in a wave of flowing mud. Max's boots squelched as she scowled in disgust. The mud had found a way to seep over and into her boots, making each step even more wet and uncomfortable then the last. This storm was getting worse. The wind was howling wildly, thunder boomed in the distance and the rain hit the ground so hard that it felt like hail. She looked up at the paddock in front of her.

The raptor paddock.

She still remembered the days when she walked up here with excitement. Sure, the raptors and the danger they presented never failed to alarm her. But coming up here so often, watching her brother raise the girls, had been an incredible experience. At times she wandered if the raptors had warmed up to her. They at least seemed calmer and more settled over time with her. However, whether that meant she had gained some of their respect or they had eyed her up as their perfect meal, she didn't know. Even though that question remained unanswered she couldn't help but feel a pang of pity. Out there, in midst of this crazy storm, the remaining raptor was all alone. Owen's beta, Blue was left without her sisters and had no pack to support her. While the thoughts of Blue showing up and well… flipping out and killing someone had crossed her mind, she still wondered where the Beta was. Owen had informed how much they hated the storms, especially the thunder. The thought the thunder alarming an alone and vulnerable Blue, tugged her heart strings into a mess of melancholy. Determined to get out of this weather she slugged on ahead. Her binoculars swung to-and-throw from her neck, the tranquiliser rifle bumped against her back. She hated to go back to Owen so early and empty handed, but they couldn't stay out here all night. Reaching the steps, her hurled herself up. Hands gripped the hand rails tightly as she refused to slip and add to Owen's problem list. Her eyes focussed on her target.

Owen was stood at the top walkway system of the paddock, he was leaning on the railings at one of the outer walls. Eyes were fixed off in the distance, watching and waiting. A walkie-talkie was clasped in his hand.

Her boot clanged loudly on the grating as she reached the top.

"Owen!" Max yelled over the howling wind, grabbing her brother's attention. Alerted, Owen quickly turned. His eyes brimmed with glimmers of hope.

"Max, what did you find?" Owen called back over the wind, making his way carefully over to meet her halfway.

Max stopped once she reached Owen and gazed up at him.

"Nothing again… sorry Owen."

Owen hope quickly broke in disappointment as he looked away. Max's stomach felt a pang of guilt, especially considering what she had to say next.

"Owen… look the storm's getting worse. We better call the other's back in, we can't stay out here all night in this."

Owen dipped his head, as much as he wanted to continue the search for Blue, he knew Max was right. Raising the walkie-talkie, he pressed the button.

"All units, all units, check in."

Max never failed to always notice elements of that once past Navy man popped up at times. Especially when it came to commanding a unit.

"Owen, what's happening? Has someone found something?" came Barry's voice through the other end. Max couldn't help but remain happy, that despite the incident that a lot of the paddock team had stayed. All of them were determined to chip in and help Owen and Claire clean up the mess and contain the island. There was probably no chance in hell that they would open to the public again, but they could at least try to clear the mess that the Indominus had left. The first thing on the list was containing the various creatures that were still roaming the island. That included finding and bringing Blue back in. Every day and night, they had been scaling the island to find her, but Blue was smart. It was unclear whether she actually wanted to be found, Max had a feeling she might be enjoying some of her new found freedom. Each time, they came up empty handed. The constant disappointment was chipping away at Owen and tearing apart his hope. Max tried her best to remain positive, but there was only so much she could work with when they were no closer to finding Blue.

"No, nothing's been found Barry. I'm calling it a night, we're not gonna be able to stay out here much longer in this weather."

"Understood. Do you want us to continue the search tomorrow when the storm's passed?"

Owen didn't reply for a minute, his stance was deflated as he looked at the jungle beyond. He looked defeated, almost close to giving up.

"Yeah… we'll try again tomorrow," Owen replied through the walkie-talkie. He sounded almost like he was trying desperately to hold on to his last glimmer of hope. Max's heart strings pulled for the second time that day. She placed a hand on Owen's arm.

"Come on. Hot shower, some food and sleep then we'll be ready for another crack at this tomorrow," Max spoke as softly as she could over the booming wind.

Owen looked to Max with a smile and nodded, "Right."

The two Grady siblings look off into the jungle once more, before turning and heading down the steps to the SUVs.

Owen pulled the driver's seat open of one of the nearest SUVs, whilst Max pulled open the passenger side. They both slipped inside, slamming the doors behind them. Both of them were grateful to be out the storm. Owen started up the engine, whilst Max squelched in her boots.

"I'll text Claire that we're on our way back," Max stated as she pulled out her phone.

Owen nodded as he pulled away from the paddock. The rain pelted off the car, whipping the window wipers into a frenzy. Clicking on her contacts, Max entered a quick text into her phone for Claire.

 _Hey,_

 _We're on our way back, no luck finding Blue again… So I wouldn't expect a talkative Owen tonight._

 _We'll be with you soon, mud and all._

Max hit send and was about to slip the phone back into her pocket, when her phone buzzed.

Owen raised an eyebrow as he looked at Max, "Wow, Claire's getting quick with her replies."

Max blinked in surprise. She pulled out the phone and looked at the new message.

An unknown number.

She frowned as she opened the text.

 _Ms Grady,_

 _The answers to your questions lie out in front of you, you just have to take it. A package lies underneath your bed, follow the instructions and you will find what you have been searching for._

Max blinked in confusion and slight fear. How had they known? How had they managed to contact her directly? She'd remained anonymous in her search for any red flags.

Owen glanced to Max once again, noting her facial expression.

"Max. Is something wrong?" Owen asked concerned, drifting his gaze between her and the road ahead.

"Huh?" Max visibly jumped out her thoughts.

"Is something wrong? You looked at little startled."

"Oh no, I think that last clap of thunder must have got to me a little," she lied as she looked to her brother. Quickly locking the phone so he couldn't see the text, she slipped it back into her pocket.

Owen nodded, not quite believing his sister but choosing not to question it. Max gritted her teeth, waiting in anticipation for their return.

….

The door swung open as Max made her way into her room. She stripped out her muddy exterior, throwing the dirty boots and outer clothing into the bathroom. Almost running, her bare-feet pounded off the floor as she made her way to her bed. She crouched down and looked underneath. Sure enough, just like the message had said, lay a small cardboard box. Max looked up, her gaze looking around suspiciously but there was no indication of how they had got in. Taking a small deep breath, she grabbed the box with both hands and placed it on the bed. She quickly removed her hands and took a step back. It looked like she almost expected the box to explode. After waiting a few minutes and reassuring herself she was being stupid, Max stepped back towards the box. With her right hand she peeled off the tape that sealed it. She discarded the ripped off tape to the floor and proceed to examine the contents. Her brow furrowed at the initial first look, deciding to rummage through properly, she began removing items.

The first thing that had caught her eye was the red wig. It was professional and not something cheap you'd pick up out of fancy dress store. If she placed the wig on and hid her hair well, she'd quickly be able to transition into a red head. Next thing she pulled out was a plain white lab coat, completely brand new and unstained.

Max blinked. Was this some kind of joke? What the hell was this? A fancy dress costume?

Deciding to stick with searching the box, Max came across one final thing. A letter, and it was addressed to her. Taking it out, she ripped it open. Out fell a single piece of paper and an ID card. Taking the card, Max's eyes scanned over it. The picture was blank, a detail that clearly needed to be filled in. The name on the card read:

 _Dr Sarah Hammond._

It wasn't until Max's eyes fell on the logo that it started to click…

"InGen," she breathed. Instantly, she thought of Hoskins and his plans for the raptors. Looking down at the wig and the lab coat, it started to click even more. So she was right. This wasn't over.

Placing the ID card down, she finally picked up the letter.

 _Max Grady,_

 _I'm sorry to do this so anonymously, but you can't be too careful these days. You were right Max, this isn't over._

 _I've got you in. I'm sure you're more than capable of holding your own undercover. You can't tell anyone, not your friends, not your brother. Max it's time we expose the truth and stop them before another incident occurs._

 _I've enclosed directions and locations inside. I hope you find the answers we are all looking for._

 _Be careful and good luck._

 _K.M_

Max furrowed her brow. Not just an anonymous tip off but an anonymous helping hand. Was what they were sending her the truth? Or a trap?

Although surely if InGen were on to her exploits and online searches, they would have found her and extracted her directly by now. Max knew one thing for sure. If there was a chance this was genuine, there was no way she could ignore it. She gulped. Owen would kill her for this but Max had come to an instant decision.

It was time to put her faith in a complete stranger.

"This K.M better not steer me wrong," Max mumbled as she picked up the lab coat.

….

"So that's what you been doing this last few months? Trying to become some undercover spy for a person you've never even met!"

Claire, Owen and Max had moved to the living room. Mainly due to Max's having a sixth sense for how Owen would react. The last thing she needed was an angry Owen terrifying Rex and causing an incident that everyone would regret.

"See this is precisely why I didn't want to tell you, because you'd stop me," Max replied as calmly as she could.

"I thought you didn't tell me because you're anonymous friend told you to!"

"Oh come on, Owen! Just because I placed some of my faith in a stranger doesn't mean I did everything they asked!"

"Oh I'm sorry, I guess I was under a different impress!"

"Well, sure they were right! But doesn't make me their bitch for the rest of the mission!"

"Mission? Oh now you're starting to sound like a really solider!"

"Oh please! I'm sorry if I'm not like you and a good little soldier that does what he's told!"

Owen fumed at that, and Max bit her tongue. She'd gone too far. The hurt and rage on her brother's face was too much to go by.

"Look Owen I didn't-" she started.

"Just don't!" Owen interrupted her, waving a hand up. He turned away for her, breathing deeply as he attempted to calm his boiling temper.

Never had Claire wanted to leave a room so fast. She was sat down in the middle of the sofa and couldn't help but looking up at the standing Grady siblings in front of her. Her mind did backflips as she tried to find the right words to say. Her stance was neutral, not wavering to either side. On one hand, she understood Owen's concern. After all, Max had been throwing herself into unknown danger. She could have been hurt or worse… much worse, and Owen would never have known. It had been selfish of her to keep this secret and do it alone. But then on the other hand, she understood Max's resolve. After all, no one wanted a repeat of the Indomius incident. If InGen were meddling once more, they needed to be stopped. She truly was sat on the fence.

Taking a deep breath, Claire broke the tense room, "Owen. At least give her chance to explain."

Owen turned sharply, "You're taking her side?"

"I'm not taking any sides, but she's your sister at least give her a chance."

Owen let out a sigh, his rage dispersing. Despite how angry he was at Max's ill actions, Claire was right.

With a calm tone, he addressed Max, "So that err… Rex. I'm guessing he came from the facility?"

Max looked to Owen and gave a small nod, "Yes, he did."

"You stole a living breathing dinosaur from under their clutches, you realise that their-" Claire started before…

Max interjected, "Gonna come after me, make me out to be some kind of criminal. It has crossed my mind."

"Max, this is a crazy mess," Owen sighed as he brushed his hands through his hair.

"That's why I need your help," Max paused as she phrased her next part of her sentence, "I want to smuggle Rex to the island."

Claire's eyes opened in surprise, "You want to what?"

"I want to get him to the island, InGen won't touch the remains of Jurassic World for fear of the press getting wind of anything fishy," Max replied looking between Owen and Claire.

Owen frowned and nodded, "Well, he can't exactly stay here."

"Are you insane? This isn't a small dinosaur were talking about here," Claire pitched in as stood up.

"Claire, I can't risk InGen getting their hands on him again. After what they did to him… you saw how afraid he was when I introduced you," Max explained and ended with a question, "So… will you help me?"

Owen and Claire exchanged glances and looked to her.

"We wouldn't be here otherwise," Owen replied with a small smile, his previous anger almost gone now.

Max was about to burst into a grin when a loud bang resonated from her garage door. A fearful cry echoed through the house.

"Rex," Max breathed looking at Owen and Claire in alarm.


End file.
